Flying-machine.



II. M. SMITH.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1912. 1,128,379, Patented. Feb.16, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. M. SMITH.

FLYlNG MACHINE,

APPLICATION EILIID JAN. 2. 1912. v 1,128,379, Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

R. M. SMITH. FLYING MACHINE.

- APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1912. 1,128,379; l Patented 11611.16. 1915.

s SHEETS-SHEET s.

. WIT NESSES f Attorney,

ran sraans rasierer carros.

REXFORD M. SMITH, oF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or coLUIvrBIA, AssIGNoR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 CONNECTICUT NECTCUT, A CORPORATION.

AIRCRAFT COMPANY, OF NEVI HAVEN, CON- FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 16, 1915,

Application led January 2, 1912. Serial No. 669,003.

To att whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Rnxronn M. SMITH,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in l `lying-h4achines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to flying machines of that class in which the machine is supported in flight by the dynamical reactions of the air upon one or more sustaining surfaces.

One object of the invention is to provide improved means for supporting, connecting and bracing the sustaining surfaces,

whereby structural strength and durability may be obtained With a material reduction of head resistance. l

Another object, of the inventionis to provide a novel construction and arrangement of tins or vanes for preventing side drift or slidding of the machine and securing greater stability.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel construction of supporting surfaces and ailerons or balancing planes,

and a novel construction of the wings and frame elements of the supporting surfaces to provide a free clearance or vent for the agitated air acted upon by the propeller when a forward or tractor propeller is employed.

Stillanother object of the invention Vto provide a novel construction and. ment of devices for vertically steering the nrachine and maintaining the lateral and longitudinal balance thereof, which devices are adapted to afford greater convenience and certainty of action .and to be operated by instinctive movements of the aviator.

-With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the acco1n pauying drawings, in which z- Figure l 1s a view in side elevation of a .flying machine embodyingmy invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical fore and aft section on au enlarged scale through the supporting surfaces. Fig'. 3 is a top plan view of the machine. Figj is a horizontal transverse section through one of the stanchions and tins, as indicated by the line 1 -4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the machine.

arrangei Fig. 6 is avdiagrammatic perspective View of the supporting surfaces, horizontal rudder and associated steering and controlling devices. 'Fig 'i is a plan View of the vertical rudder and its controlling gear. Fig. 8 is an end view of the supporting surfaces, showing a modification in the lateral balancing means. Fig. 9 is a side View of'one of the wing ribs. Fig. 10 is a cross section on line l0- 10 of Fig. 9.

In the illustrated exelnplification the invention is shown embodied in a biplane machine. although it is to be understood that it is no`t limited thereto, as the essential features thereof may be employed With equal etliciency upon other types of multiplane machines or upon machines of the monoplane type.

Referring to the drawings, l designates the body or main frame of the machine, preferably in theform of a. stream-line boat-shaped car or nacelle, the tail portion of which carries suitable fixed horizontal and vertical stability fins 2 and 3 and horizontal and vertical rudders 4 and 5, and is provided with a trail skid or fender 6 of any preferred type. As shown, the horizontal rudder 4 preferably has a central cutout space through which the vertical rudder 5 projects and in which said vertical rud der is laterally movable. The forward end of the nacelle is mounted upon a suitable chassis 7 including front skids 8 and cushioned launching and landing wheels 9.

-l'Vithin the bow of the nacelle is arranged' in practice a motor (not shown) of any preferred construction, the shaft 10 of which Acarries a. tractor propeller l1. Inthe cockpit of the nacelle are placed seats 12 and 13 disposed one in rear of the other for the accommodation of the aviator and a passenger. The seat l2 is arranged sufficiently in rear of the center of gravity and pressure so that the weight of the aviator and controls will approximately balance the vthe weight of the motor, while the seat 13 biplane structure, as disclosed, the supporting planes or surfaces 14 and 15 are dupliM eates in form and construction, each coinprising a pair of wings 16 and 17 spaced at their inner or proximate edges to provide a fore-andaft air gap 18. rllhese gaps are arrangedin the path of the air iinpelled upwardly and downwardly and traveling rearwardly from the propeller, thus permitting the disturbed air vto have free vent through the supporting surfaces and preventing the same from disturbing the air compressed by the wings, accumulating` between the supporting surfaces and increasing the head resistance, or varying the angle of incidence or flying attitude of the machine. f The wings, which may have any suitable foreand-aft curvature, are formed of a fabric or other suitable covering secured to a frame composed of ribs 19 fixed to longitudinal spa-rs or bed rails 20, each rib being formed of superposed strips 21 and 22 of spruce or other suitable material spaced by the rails 20 and suitable fillers 23. The rear end of the upper strip 21 of each rib terminates in rear of the rear end of the lower strip 22 and Arests upon `a strip 24, preferably of hickory or other suitable tough and flexible material. The forward end of this strip 2d abuts against the rear end of the strip 22 and lits within a socket formed by a U- shaped stirrup 25 secured by fastenings 26,

to an adjacent iiller block, whereby the Astrips 22 and 24 are held in proper relation. The strips 24 are held from possible displacement by fastenings 27 entering the filler blocks to which the stirrups are secured, whereby any damaged strip may be readily removed and-a new strip appl-ied in its place. |The strips 2d render the wings flexible longitudinally in rear of the strips' 21 for a vibratory air-shedding action. The spars or bed rails extend continuously the full length of each plane, the bed rails of the lower plane being suitably fastened to `the nacelle. ln the embodiment of the invention in a monoplane structure, the wings of the supporting surface may be mounted upon the nacelle in any suitable manner and spaced as required for free passage of the air from thel propeller.

'lihe wings of the supporting surfaces are rigidly connected and held in spaced relation by a single set of stancliions or struts 28 arranged at suitable intervals apart and about midway of the width of the rigid body of the plane, at or near the camber line and .in coincidence with the centers of gravity and pressure. These stanchions are suitably secured at their ends to the frames of the respective surfaces, and are rigidly iXed thereto by braces or stays 29. Preferably each brace or stay is formed of a piece of tubing bent into V-form, its vertex yloelng attened and passed through an opening nieder/e 50 extending through the stanchion between its front and rear edges, while the diver gently arranged arms of said brace are suit` ably fastened, as at 31, to the frame of the contiguous wing. By this construction the supporting r surfaces and stancliions are not only directly connected, but are also mutu ally reinforced and braced in front and rear of the plane of the stanchions, whereby a stiongand rigid union is secured. This enables one of the two rows of stanchions or struts commonly employed to be dispensed with, together with the usual wire trusses, with a consequent reduction of head resistance. lf desired the braces and braced ends of the stanchions may be inclosed by coverings 32, forming triangular fins disposed parallel with the line of flight and operating to prevent lateral skidding or side drift of the machine when in flight, also to reduce head resistance.

The wings of the suppoitingsurfaces are symmetrically curved, and the flexible rear portions of the respective wings are bisected or divided in a fore and aft direction, as at 33, forming relatively rigid and flexible inner and outer portions. The flexible outer' portions 84, 34a, 35, 35a of the respective wings constitute ailerons, balancing planes or balancing surfaces lying normallyA in the plane of the respective supporting surfacesI and the ailerons 34 and-35 are capable of being flexedidownward yto a positive angle of incidence while the ailerons 31e and 35 are similarly capable of being flexed upwardly to a negative angle of incidence. Each wing thus comprises a body having a rigid fore portion and a flexible 'rear portion, the latter consisting of an inner section normally uncontrolled and adapted to flex or vibrate under airpressures and an outer section adapted to be positively controlled and adjusted to maintain the lateral. balance of the machine. A

The ailerons are designed to be operated by a pair of right and left hand controlling levers 36 and 37, each universally mounted or intermediately pivoted to swing fore and aft on an aXis 38 and to swing laterally on an axis 39, said levers being so relatively arranged as to be operated independently or in unison. The lower arm of the lever 36 has attached thereto a wire or cable 40 leading over guide pulleys 41 to a point above the aileron 35, and the upper arm of leys 43 to a point below the aileron 35, said cables 40 and 42 being respectivelyattached by branches orbridles 40a and 42 to the outer corner portions of the respective ailerons, whereby when the lever 36 is swung laterally to the left the wire d0 will be relaxed while the wire L12 will be drawn upon to bend the aileron 35 downward to a posil mesi-avewire 42 will be relaxed while the wire a0 will be drawn upon to bend the aileron upward to ahnegative angle of incidence. The lever 37 is similarly connected by corresponding designated controlling connections to the ailerons 34 .and 34a, so that when said lever is swung laterally to the right thewire 40 will be relaxed and the wire i2 drawn'upon to bend the aileron 34 downward, while upon a reverse lateral .motion of said lever the wire 12 will be relaxed and the wire 40 drawn upon Vto bend the aileron 34a upward. It will thus be understood that the ailerons maybe independently flexed by the control levers, and as said lailerons are capable of being flexed, in a plane perpendicularly to the plane of the supporting surfaces it`will be evident that in balancing and banking the machine the adjustment of the ailerons to reverse positive and negative angles of incidence at the opposite sides of .the machine will result in securing increased efiiciency of balancing `control, since a positive lifting action will be obtained at one side and a positive depressing action at the other side. lBy this means the well known objections to constructions invwhichjone balancing surface is drawn down to a positive angle of incidence to secure. a lift and the opposite surface merely released to assume a negative ang-le of incidence are avoided. Moreover, since the ailerons are movable perpendicularly to the plane of the supporting surfaces, they are adapted to be adjusted without affectingor destroying the normal symmetry ofsaid surfaces, -thus preventing the same from being unduly strained,` warped out of shapeor setting up an undue head resistance, as in constructions of that kind in which the surfaces are helicoidally bent or warped.

In practice, the levers 36 and 37 are ar.

ranged to be grasped in the right and left hand of the operator. so that they may be independently or simultaneously adjusted, and so that instinctive motions on the part of the operator will result in a proper adjustment of the balancing surfaces. If, for instance,` the machine should tilt laterally toward the right the tendency of the operator to lean 'in the opposite direction will result in the surface 35 being bent downy wardly to secure a lift at the depressed side and thesurface 34 bent upwardly to secure a depressing action at the elevated side, while if the machine should tilt in the opposite direction the tendency of the operator to lean toward the high side will result in.

the surface 35:1 being elevated to. secureA a depressing action'at the elevated side and the surface 34 being depressed to secure a lifting acticn at the lea'. side. By this arrangement of the levers and connections the natural instinct of the operator to move toward the uptilted side in every instance is taken advantage of, thus reducing liabilityl of mistakes in adjusting the controls. The use of independent controlling devices .also adapts the ailerons at either side to be adjusted independently of those at the opposite side to more sensitively correct any sligl'rt tilting tendencies which may occur and may be corrected without objectionable increase of head resistance. For these reasons, the construction and arrangement of parts disclosed is' preferred in a biplane type of machine, although, as shown in Fig. 8, the ailerons at either side may be suitably coupled, as by means ef a connecting link ifi, for movement in unison in the same direction. in the adaptation of the balancing structurev to a machine of the monoplane type, the ailerons or balancing surfaces at each side may be regarded as parts'of single units each coupled by connections with the associated lever whereby it may be adjusted either upward or downward to a desired angle of incidence. This modification would involve merely the connection of the control wires from each leverto the aileron in such manner that a movement of the lever in one direction will flex the aileron upward, while a reverse movementof the lever will flex the aileron downward.

The horizontal rudder at is adjusted by means of the levers 36 and 37 and to this end is shown provided with upper and lower pairs of crank arms e-nd 46 connected with the respective levers by cords or cables 47 and 48. The forward ends 'of these capassed over pairs of direction pulleys 49 and.

50. T hus a manually backward or forward movement of either lever, or both levers in unison, will result'in an 'upward or downward movel'nent of the rudder 4, the use of tivo levers allowing greater or less power to be employed as required. It will 'be observed that the described arrangei'nent of the cables also provides for a utilization of the instinctive movements of the aviator in adjusting the rudder to correct any fore and aft instability, the aviator adjusting the levers in each instance toward the elevated point of the machine and away from the depressed point of the machine in order to ad# just the rudder toY restore the longitudinal balance. i

While I have shown and described a construction and' arrangement of superposed Supporting VSurtcfh: having wing tifis.A

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iis

60 and tlexible in rear at the right and .left hand margins thereof, the tips of the ,upper surface being flexible or wa'rpable downwardly and the tips of the lower surface flexible or warpable upwardly, together with controlling levers and connections between'the same and the wing tips, whereby the ously adjusted, it is evident that l may employ simply the wingtips 34 are independently flexible or warpable upwardly to a. negative angle of incidence, so that the effective area Y at the high side of a laterally unbalanced machine may be decreased, while the effective area and angle of incidence at the low side remains unimpaired, to restore the machine to a. state of balance or equilibrium.

The vertical rudder 5 is pro vided with laterally extending crank arms 5l and 52 to which are attached the rear ends of cords or wires 53 and 54, which are crossed intermediate of their length and passed around direction pulleys 55 and 56, the forward end of the cable 53 leading from the right hand arm 5l being connected with the left hand arm et an intermediately pivoted control lever 57, while the. forward end of the cable 54 leading from the left hand arm 52 of the rudder is connected with the right hand arm of said control lever. This arrangement of the controlling connections also provides for a natural adjustment of the control lever on the part of the aviator, as the aviator swings the lever toward that side of the machine lying in the direction of the turning motion. i

Having thus described the invention,what l. claim as new is zl. ln a flying machine, a. pair of curved, superposed supporting surfaces, each comprising a body rigid to substantially equal degrees in front and rear of its camber point and flexible in rear of its rigid portion, a row of struts extending between saidl surfaces coincident with the camber line thereof, and bracing members connecting each strut with the respective supportingl surtaces, each of said braces beingunited to the strut at an intermediate point andthence having relatively direi-ging arms extending toward the surface to which it is attached and connected with the rigid portion of said surface at substantially equidistant points in front and rear of the strut.

ln a liying machine, a` pair of curved, superposed 'supporting` surfaces, each comprising ay body rigid to substantially equal degrees in front and rear of its camber line i of said rigid portion, a row ot' struts extending between said surfaces coincident with the camber line, and braces connecting the struts with the respective surfaces, ,each brace being substantially of V-form and connected at the vertex portion thereof with the strut and having its sets of tips may be simultanesuper-posed and 35a, which and angle of incidence Masera arms extending divergently 'toward tire surface to which it is attached at substantially equal angles in front and rear of the strut and attached to the rigid portion of said surface at substantially equal distances in front and rear of the strut.

3. In a flying machine, a pair of curved,

supporting surfaces each conlprising a body rigid to substantially equal degrees in front and rear of its cainber line and'fiexible in rear`of, its rigid portion, a single set of struts extending between said surfaces coincident with the camber line, substantially -shaped nbraces connecting each st rut with the respective supporting surfaces, each of said braces being connected at its vertex 'portion with the strut and haw ing its arms diverging at equal angles toward the surface to which it is attached in front and rearrof the strut and secured to the latter at points in front and rear of the strut and equidistantly therefrom, and a sheathing of material about each brace and inclosing a portion of the strut between the center of the brace and the coacting supporto ing surface, whereby upper and lower sets of substai'itially triangular stability vanes are vformed between said surfaces.

d. ln a flying machine, a pair of superposed supporting surfaces, a single set of intervening struts, braces intermediately connected with the struts and connected. with said surfaces in front and rear of said struts, and a covering about each brace and the adjoining portion of the strut, whereby upper and lower sets of stability vanes are formed between the surfaces.

5. ln a' iiying machine, a pair of super posed supporting surfaces, a single row of intervening struts extending between said surfaces, upper and lower sets of braces of substantially V-form passing intermediately through the struts and thence having their diverging arms extending in front and rear of the struts toward the respective surfaces and secured thereto, and a sheathing of ma terial about each brace and inclosing the portion of the strut between the center of 4the brace and the coacting supporting sur face, whereby upper and lower sets ot bility vanes are formed between said surfaces.

6. .in a flying machine, a supporting surface comprising longitudinal bars, ribs each comprisingstrips arranged above and below the bars, the lower strip being of less length than the upper strip and the latter having its rear edge extending downwardly at an angle, and a supplementary strip detachably fastened in position and forming a continuation of the short lower strip ex tending beyond the rear end of the upper strip lying in contact therewith, and a cov ering of suitable material inclosing said bars and ribs.

7. ln a flying machine, a supporting surface comprising a pair of superposed planes, the wings-of the upper plane having portions adapted to'be flexed downwardly and 'the wings of the lower plane having-portions which are adapted to be flexed upwardly, right and left hand intermediately pivoted levers, a down-pulling conection between' the upper arm of the right hand lever and the flexible portion of the right-hand wing of the upper supporting surface, an up-pulling connection between the lower arm of the right hand lever and the flexible portion of the right hand wing of the lower plane, and similar connectionsbetween the left hand lever and the flexible portions of the left hand wings of the upper and lower planes.

8. In a ying machine, superposed sup- 'porting surfaces provided on opposite sides tions.

a nacelle, supporting surfaces above and below the plane of the nacellethe lower supporting surface including frame bars fasf tened to the chassis and nacelle, a single set or row of stanchions rigidly connecting they superposed. wings of the supporting surfaces at a point about in line withthe center of gravity and pressure, and braces conf necting said stanchions with said surfaces in front and rear of the former. i

10. aflying machine, a horizontal'rudder, lateral balancing. surfaces, a pair of juxtaposed right and left hand levers having fore and aft and vlateral swinging movements, and eiible connections between both 9. A flying machine comprising a chassis,

of said levers and the horizontal rudder and between the levers and the respective right and left hand balancing surfaces.

l1: In a flying machine, a horizontal rnd der, lateral balancing surfaces,'a pair of op positely arranged right and left hand levers intermediately pivoted to swing on horizontal and transverse axes, crossed cables ccnnecting the upper and'lower arms of' each lever with the horizontal rudder below and above the horizontal axis of said rudder and connections between said levers and the balancing surfaces.

l2. In a flying machine, superpose'd supporting surfaces, provided on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the machine with superposed balancing portions respectively adjustable upward and downward to negative and positive angles of incidence, a

pair of right and left hand normally vertical intermediately pivoted levers movable laterally in either direction, a lifting connection between the lower arm of the left hand lever and the lower left hand balancing portion, a depressing connection between the upper arm of said lever and the upper left hand balancing' portion, and corresponding connections between the right hand lever and vthe lower and upper right hand balancing` portions.'

13. In a flying machine, a horizontal rudder, lateral balancing surfaces, a pair of juxtaposed right and left hand fore and aft and laterally movable levers operable independently or in unison, connections for adjusting the horizontal rudder when said levers are moved fore and aft independently or conjointly, and connections between the levers and balancing surfaces for controlling the latter independently or conjointly through independent or conjoint lateral movements of. said levers.

IIn testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

REXFRD M. SM'H.

vVlitnesses: l

C. (lr-llibres, I BnNNnrrS. Jorma.

Sli.

@epilee patent may be elimine@ for ilve cents each', by addressing the Commissioner er Entente, Washington, D. d. 

